Harvest was late this year due to a cooler summer that affected grape growth and had winemakers all over the country were wringing their hands worried about sugar levels. Harvest is the labor intensive time requiring many hours in the winery. Once that was done in late November, we were able to devote some energy… Continue Reading
Our First Adventure: Picking Grapes For the Wine
This is typed and edited by Lisa Gerber, as told to her by Patrick over a glass of Mercer Cabernet Sauvignon. Jon and I are often asked how we got into this whole winemaking thing. We thought we’d share our story here little by little. A lot of us dream of doing something “some day”…… Continue Reading
What’s in the Wine Cellar for 2011?
2011 is going to be a fairly eclectic year at the Small House. The Riesling, Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Sangiovese have all finished their fermentation and are resting in the barrels. Here’s what we’ve been up to this harvest season: Last week, we finished pressing the Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes came from the Mercer… Continue Reading
Small House Winery Will Start Bottling Soon
We’ve been working for three years, crushing and de-stemming grapes, fermenting and aging in barrels. Hard to believe that in December, we’ll begin bottling our first vintage; the 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and our 2010 Washington Viognier (from 35-year old vines). We would have bottled sooner but we just got settled into our new,… Continue Reading
